


You Don't Know Me

by markbumficfest



Series: Markbum Fic Exchange 2018 [2]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Denial of Feelings, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Pining, Romantic Comedy, Smut, Swearing, pubescent hormones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 16:55:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17186801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markbumficfest/pseuds/markbumficfest
Summary: Im Jaebeom lives his life going with the flow, whatever comes and whatever goes, in comes from stage left, Tuan Mark, that one small minor itsy bitsy road bump on his so called life that made him swarve and drift out of control.





	You Don't Know Me

**Author's Note:**

> for OneNightInBangkok
> 
> full fanart: [here](https://i.postimg.cc/Y99J563d/You-dont-know-me.png)  
> \----
> 
> Author's note: listen, I should probably credit all the references I've made in this and sorry if you'll don't understand them (btw Mark is more of a Chopper). I wrote this largely after re-watching UP! for the umpteenth time, feeling very magical and over the sky, also I'm ugh bad at planning one shot... I cut out a lot of sort of unnecessary plot, but you're still stuck with 10k+ of just... large jumbles of things. 
> 
> Fanartist's note: Merry Christmas! I feel like I didn't do justice to your wonderful fic, there was a lot of beautiful moments that I wanted to draw and in the end I drew the one where markbum took a picture at the Aquarium. I hope you like it!

“I’m open! I’m open!!!”

The school’s indoor court echoed with the sharp squeaks of sneaker on wood polish. 

Jaebeom sat on the bleachers with his walkman and casted leg, idly listening to the faint chorus of Brownstone in his ear as his eyes follow the basketball’s arc through the hoop. 

He watched his classmates as they collaboratively hefted their team’s small forward up in joy, the leaner boy smiling brightly for their victory. 

It’s just gym class, but the group cheered on as if they’ve won a championship, Jaebeom closed his eyes and turned on the volume to out the ruckus from the court. 

Mark’s toothy grin and flushed sweaty cheeks embedded in the back of his mind.

 

☙

 

“Bbeommie~ are you home? Come play ball with me!” 

Mark’s hand rattled on the flimsy old sliding, as he pressed his nose against the metal mesh to try and see inside; finding nothing but the untouched wrapped breakfast on the table, he yelled louder;

“YA! IM JAEBEOM! WAKE UP AND EAT BREAKFAST YOU LOUSY BUM, IT’S ALREADY NINE!”

After some soft rumbling and crashing came from inside the house, Jaebeom slowly pattered out in his jammies to open the door for Mark, “Ahhh…it’s the first week of summer vacation Mark, why aren’t you sleeping in?”

Mark quickly squeezed pass Jaebeom making a beeline to the fridge to himself with something refreshing; “Because!” he started as-a-matter-of-factly, “We’ll be middle schoolers this spring, and I need to practice more if I want to make it in the school’s basketball team!” he settled on a box of chilled strawberry milk.

“So? You have all day to practice!” Jaebeom lazily mumbled through his strawberry jam n’ chocolate sandwich

“The basketball court will be all taken by older kids if I don’t go this early! And you know how those high-schoolers hog the whole court for themselves!”

“Then why do you have to ask me to practice? Isn’t Peniel better at basketball?”

“Can’t, he’s off at some science camp right now, the same one he went last year with those mosquitoes the size of my palm! I pray for him every night before going to bed.”

“Oh… right, I heard him mentioning that a couple times.”

“So my sports-star future is up to you now! Now go cleaned up and get changed!”

“Yes, mom.”

“I see your mouth running but work undone young man!” Mark did his best Mrs. Im impression, even down to the tapping on her wrist watch, which he doesn’t wear, so he’s fingers slapped on his skin, “Chop chop!”

Jaebeom rolled his eyes dramatically.

“Jaebeom-ah!…Jaebeom-ah…”

Jaebeom’s eyes snapped open when he felt something ice cold against his cheek, “Wha- the… sshi- get the fuck off Youngjae!”

He had fallen asleep in the gym; classes are over for the day, the afternoon sun filtering through the sky lights, tinting everything in a mellow orange hue, and to his left, Youngjae and Sungjin stood there with a bag of junk food each.

“What were you dreaming of? You had a dumb grin on the whole time, is it that theater club girl that you like? Eunji was it? Or is it Yunji?” Youngjae grinned.

“It’s Eunji, and I don’t even like her like that, let it go man, I helped her lift some boxes ONE TIME!”

“Well whatever you dreamt of must have been sweet coz man,” Sungjin pulled out the picture on his phone, “look at this smile here, you musta’ been all the way to cloud nine, whoo!” said smile showcased in it’s full zoomed-in HD glory, with a small trail of drool down his chin.

“Delete that.”

“No, not gonna happen, I already backed this up onto cloud.” Sungjin adjusted his guitar bag on his shoulder, “You’ve lazed here for long enough Bbeom, we’re heading to my place.”

“And laze around there instead?”

“Better than here, my place have A/C and doesn’t smell like sweat.”

“Now I’m not so sure about the smell part…” Youngjae shook his head and got elbowed in his stomach, “Jee, abusive much?!”

“How about we all head to my place? I got a new vinyl.” Jaebeom suggests.

“Sure, I haven’t hanged with Nora in forever!” Youngjae said excitedly, ready to fill his phone with cat pics again while Sungjin just shrugged and smiled.

☙

 

“Room raid!” Youngjae and Sungjin rushed into Jaebeom’s room and started shuffling under his mattress and searching cabinets for skin-mags

“One of these days I’ll find them! Hold him at the door Sungjin!” Youngjae yelled as he searched above his dresser, finding a slightly dusty large shoebox, “OOOOOOOoohhohoooo, what’s in this box Jaebeom-ah?” 

“Don’t, it’s just old school stuff, it’s boring.” Jaebeom rolled his eyes at Youngjae’s scandalized expression, having shoved his way passed Sungjin’s almost non-existent effort to block him, “Go ahead, there’s no girls in bikinis in there.”

“Bro, you looked different as a kid,” Youngjae said as he laid out all his past year books, “Who’s the lanky kid you’re always around?”

“Hmm? Which one?”

“The tan one with the buzzed cut.” Youngjae pointed to the kid in the photo.

“Oh, that’s Mark.”

“…Wait, Mark? The same Mark in our grade Tuan Mark? The street style model Mark?” now it’s Sungjin’s turn to feel scandalized.

“That’s the one.” Jaebeom responds offhandedly while digging out his turntable

“You guys seemed close though, and Mark seems cool, I mean, not our vibe but chill, ya know, how come you two stopped hanging?”

“We just…” Jaebeom shrugged, his mouth pausing to find the right words, “…drifted apart, people change.”

His friends nodded, taking it as a note to stop asking, and let the muffled bass beat of the vintage blues record fill in the silence.

If only that was the truth, Jaebeom smiled bitterly to himself as he laid on his bed, tired from cleaning up the scattered remains of snacks and empty juice bottles, the sound of the A/C and cicadas is the same as the afternoon many years ago——

 

☙

 

the two adolescent boys headed back to Jaebeom’s house as it got too hot to play outside, Mark ran to his room and cranked the A/C and fan up as high as they can.

“Ah~ I feel all sticky! Why is your room is like an oven?! Is this thing working?”

“Be patient, will you? It’s called an air conditioner, not instant-freeze.”

“Ugh, I’m going to shower first then.”

“Yeah, yeah.” sweaty himself, Jaebeom scavenged his freezer for ice pops.

It didn’t take long for Mark to shower, sometimes, Jaebeom doubted if he is even cleaned properly, like behind the ear, but knowing his friend who is almost as sanitary as he is, Mark just showers really fast.

“Ah! Jaebeom, did your mother buy larger shirts for you again?” Mark walked to the kitchen in a grey A-shirt that looked two sizes too big for his lanky body, digging through the freezer himself.

“Yeah, my old ones don’t fit properly anymore, but these are big for me too, but ma said I’ll grow into them if I’m gonna grow like my dad is.”

“Stop it! I might choke you dead out of jealousy for your future physique.” Mark rubbed his face dramatically, “How come an anime nerd like you gets to have my ideal body? While I, future basketball star, gets the skinny asian genes?”

“Now don’t limit yourself, young grasshopper, Luffy is small too but he’ll one day become Pirate King.”

“UGH! I don’t want to be like Luffy I want to be Ace! Fire fist!” Mark imitated the character’s movement

Jaebeom deadpanned, “…Nah~ you’re a Luffy.” earning him a hard kick to the shin, “Ow! Hey!”

“Go shower, you stink!”

“If I didn’t go practice with you I wouldn’t stink now would I?”

“No, but your loser stench will come through regardless.” Mark made a face while pinching his nose

“I hate you. Why are we friends?”

“ ‘Cuz we live in the same neighborhood and you are hopeless without me to guide you through life, oh, and your mom loves me and makes the best soup.”

“Wow thanks for reminding me that my mother’s favorite son isn’t me.”

“Aww, for you, anytime.”

Jaebeom flipped the bird at him before heading to shower, leaving Mark’s high pitch laugh muffled behind the bathroom door.

 

Mark is reading the latest volume of Jump! on his bed by the time he finished his shower, limbs laid out taking the entire twin size like he owns the place. 

“Ugh! Jaebeom get your fat-ass off me!” Mark wiggled under Jaebeom’s loose stranglehold.

“Say uncle!”

“My knee is next to your balls and I’m not afraid to use it!”

Jaebeom promptly shifted his position, but not releasing his hold around Mark’s arm and neck.

“Say uncle!” he repeated

“Over my dead body!” Mark said defiantly, his free arm trying to reach for leverage.

The two boys laughed and twisted in their awkward wrestle and then…

 

Jaebeom can still recall it vividly; from the way he was breathing to the way his natural musk blended with the tea tree body wash in his house, the way his face looks above him, Jaebeom feels his eyes burning again, the deep-seated shame coming back to hit him once-more like a two-ton-truck.

He sat up from his bed and proceeds to go about his homework, mostly study and exam practices since they are approaching the end of their high school career, he’s almost done with reviewing the biology flashcards before his mother calls him out for dinner.

“I’ve signed the forms for your class-trip, the money is in there with the forms, remember to turn it in class tomorrow.”

“Thanks, mom.”

Mrs. Im looks at her son, seeing slight puffiness and the dark circles under his eyes, “Don’t ruin your body by studying too hard, I don’t mind where you end up as, I just want my boy to be happy and healthy.” she lectures as she piles more food into Jaebeom’s bowl. 

“I had friends over just this afternoon, ma, I’m afraid your son might have been relaxing just a bit too much.” Jaebeom jokes

“And don’t stay up late, girls won’t go out with boys with panda eyes.”

“I’m focused on exams right now.”

“So? Studying hard equates to no room for romance in your life?”

“Your love is plenty for me at the moment mom.”

“But it’s been so long since you last dated, how long have you been single? 2 years? 3?” mrs. Im rubs her forehead, “You know, when I was your age—” she starts.

“nnnnnnh— please I don’t want to hear about your love life mom.”

“Ah~ why are you not a daughter, a daughter will surely listen to my stories!”

Jaebeom just shrugs with his mouth full.

☙

 

He’s floating in mist, in a void like space, but he felt safe; safe because Mark is there, floating right beside him.

Mark, with his sun kissed face and buzzed-cut, slowly morphing and growing to his matured, paler face, feathery bangs framing his face, he could feel the soft prick of his buzzed hairline with his hand on Mark’s neck, he smiles as Mark leaned closer so their nose almost touch.

Jaebeom could feel his heart drumming under his rib cage, he could feel those long fingers and arms hold him, he can’t distinguish where he ended and Mark began, but he felt so good and warm.

Jaebeom wakes up with drenched in a mixture of sweat, tears, and an all too familiar stickiness in his shorts, he rolled to look at the clock; quarter ’til five, he rolled heavily off his bed and peeled the dirty sheets off before quietly patting to the laundry room.

He can already feel that it’s gonna be a great day as he scrubs out his soiled underwear.

Final exams and CSAT behind him, and today, today is the day where the entire graduating class begins their week-long school trip abroad, to be embraced by the tropical sunshine of Okinawa, Japan.

He has his bag and suitcase packed and ready by the door, but the attendance today doesn’t start until 9am, Jaebeom debated on going back to bed, but he’s far too awake now, so he decides to make breakfast for himself and his parents; simple eggs and good hot soup since it’s a bit chilly now that December is approaching.

Jaebeom rolls up his sleeves before setting to work, gathering and washing all the ingredients, he was in the middle of shredding carrots before his father walked in, clearly taken by surprise that his son is in the kitchen, but went ahead to pour himself a glass of water.

“What are you doing up so early?”

“Didn’t sleep well.”

“Ah yes, the pre school-trip jitters, I remember those.” mr. Im commented wisely.

Jaebeom opens his mouth, about the correct his father’s presumption, but thought it better not to, “the thought of sleeping under the same roof as the pretty girls in my class, I remember not sleeping a wink back then!” mr. Im continues, then, remembering something, he hurriedly gets up from his seat.

“Ah, almost forgot, it’s been a while since it’s just us two boys alone…” he says as he shuffles through his coat pockets, “Bought this last night on my way home.”

He presents a small pharmacy bag, the small square content within the translucent white plastic bag very recognizable, so recognizable that Jaebeom wants to dig himself a 100 feet hole and die right there.

“Now this is just to be safe, don’t do anything your old man wouldn’t.” mr. Im gives him a good pat on the back then headed to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for his work day.

Jaebeom hurriedly stuffs it down his bag, all the way to the bottom and regrets his decision on not going back to sleep where he could’ve very possibly avoided this.

The Ims had a pleasant breakfast; mama-Im was surprised that her son woke that early, then surprise turn to worry due to his lack of sleep, “I’ll sleep on the way to Okinawa, it’ll be fine.” Jaebeom calms her down with his light-hearted tone.

“Have fun! Don’t forget to bring back the brown sugar I told you about!”

“I will!” Jaebeom said as he gave his mother one last big hug before heading out.

 

☙

 

“The schedule has a lot of free time, but each of you are to travel in groups of at least 4, please write down the names and exchange contacts with your group members in case one of you get lost, each one of you is to pair… 

Jaebeom tunes out his teacher’s briefing in the gymnasium where each class gathered together, his brain fuzzy now due to his lack of sleep this morning, until he feels Youngjae’s elbow jabbing at his arm.

“What?”

“Raise your hand.”

“What? Why?”

“You don’t have a buddy yet.” Youngjae stood there with Sungjin, their arms linked at the elbows like how kindergarteners are taught to when they go on field trips.

“Who’s not paired with a buddy yet?” their teacher asks again as if on cue.

With a look of utter betrayal directed at his best friends, Jaebeom raises his hand.

“Good, Jaebeom you’ll be paired with Mark for the trip, get along, exchange contacts.”

The two boys lowers their arm, one making their way to the other while the other is trying not to run for it.

“Uh…”

“Hey.” Mark flashed a soft smile, the morning light framing his hair with a soft halo and making his eyes twinkle like a fantasy.

Except this is real life, and Jaebeom is pretty sure he doesn’t deserve this kind of torture.

 

“I call the window seat.” Mark said as he squeezed in front of Jaebeom as they boards the large bus to the airport.

The two settled in their seat in relative silence, Mark pulls out a breakfast sandwich from his backpack when the bus started.

“Now kids, remember to stick with your travel buddy at all times, these will be who you sit with and room with for the duration of this trip, we’ll do attendance every morning at breakfast and every meal throughout the trip, no buddy no food!”

His teacher’s cheerful words over the loudspeaker made his heart sink, Jaebeom wants to throw himself off a cliff for missing sleep, for not paying attention to the briefing, for existing.

He slumps back in the cushioned seat in despair, when Mark voices up.

“Hey!”

Jaebeom begrudgingly looks to his left, “Hm?”

“Does your shoulders have to be so wide?”

Huh? My shoulders? What kind of a complaint is that?

Not in a good mood already, Jaebeom bumped his wide shoulders even closer on Mark, squeezing the smaller boy against the window.

“Yah!” Mark elbowed his side.

“Should I shrink it smaller then?” Jaebeom scrunched his shoulders together, “Like this?” he feels ridiculous.

“Umm hmm.” satisfied with his arm space, Mark nods.

Jaebeom quickly relaxed back to his natural state, “I see you’re still a prude brat after all these years.”

“And you are still an unaccommodating pig head.” Mark decides to sit up so their shoulders will not have to touch and begins to eat his breakfast.

“This is gonna be heck of a long trip.” Jaebeom sighed before leaning back to catch some sleep.

 

☙

 

Mark was on his 3rd sandwich and 2nd box of milk before Jaebeom butts in, “…where do you even put all that food?”

Mark shrugs, “Don’t know, but I can’t seem to put on weight.” he says as he pats his flat stomach.

“See, I was right, you’re a Luffy.”

Mark rolls his eyes, “Ugh, I can’t believe you are still on that, I don’t eat THAT much, stuff like this shouldn’t make me Luffy.” he says as he opens the small tub of mixed fruit yogurt salad his mom packed for him.

“No one eats that much, but you do eat an abnormal amount, you eat more than me!”

“Yeah, but I’m not the one who can eat an entire bowl of rice in one bite, by your logic, you’re the Luffy type.”

“That was one time! And it was on a bet!”

“Aww look at you two, already back to being best pals~” Youngjae coos from the seat behind theirs.

Mark looks at the him weirdly before climbing to kneel on his seat, Jaebeom shakily stares at the slit of skin exposed between his shirt and sweats, “Hi, I’m Mark, I look forward to traveling with you guys!”

“Same here! I bet all the girls in our grade will be sticking with us now that you’re in our group!” Sungjin joins in.

Mark laughed at that, the three begins to happily chat about what they want to do and what to eat, Mark has an eating game plan all laid out on a tour map, with google maps all saved to his phone.

All the while Jaebeom struggles to not be bothered by how he is literally eye level with the subject of his wet dream’s perky butt.

 

“Wake up guys, we’re at the airport!” Sungjin’s hand shook him awake, Jaebeom doesn’t even recall falling asleep, but he felt a weight on his shoulder.

Mark rubs his face against his pillow, “…ten more minutes dad…” stubbornly holding on as his pillow rebels against him, shaking up and down.

“Get off, your head is heavy.” It’s not really, but Jaebeom feels his nerves are about to snap from the proximity they’ve been sharing, getting out the the seat as soon as the bus comes to a complete stop.

“…Where is he running off to in such a hurry?” Mark asks as he helps carry both of their suitcases off the bus.

“Knowing him,” Youngjae started.

“…probably to the nearest toilet.” the duo finishes together.

“Hmm.” Mark looks after the familiar scene of Jaebeom dashing away from him

 

☙

 

Jaebeom bangs his forehead with his fists, locking himself in an empty stall. Everything went down too fast this morning for him to catch up with reality, he sighs deeply as contemplates the possibility of faking an illness so he can go home, but his mother will likely kill him for it. He probably won’t even have to try hard to fake anything since he can already feel his heart at his throat, and his blood pulsing in his ear.

_I just need some time to steady myself, you can do this Im Jaebeom! Deep breaths, in and out, slow and steady._

“Jaebeom? Are you still in there?”

Mark’s voice down the empty toilet almost has Jaebeom jumping from his seat on the toilet.

“Teach is doing attendance again, and we need to get in line for security screening.” Mark continues

“Yeah I’ll- I’ll be there in a sec.”

“…” Mark stops in front of his stall, standing there for a short time before turning back, “Okay, take your time in there.”

Jaebeom let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he heard the footstep fade away.

 

“Dude what you do? Fell in the bowl?” Sungjin jibes when Jaebeom finally joins the rest of the class

“No, just felt dizzy from the bus ride.”

“Well don’t get airsick on us, I can’t handle it if you decide to toss out.”

“Don’t worry, if I ever do throw up I’ll only do it in your backpack.”

Sungjin hugs said bag closer to himself.

The security process was fast, minor held up by someone with staples in his knee, but everyone made it on the plane alright.

 

_Two hours, two hours and a half, I’ll be fine, just fine, two hours and a half with Mark Tuan, I’ve played with him most of my childhood life, my mom knows his mom, we’ve taken baths together, I’m fine. No big deal._ Jaebeom repeats this mantra over and over again.

Jaebeom takes one look at his ‘travel buddy’ beside him and decides to quit on life.

Or pretend that the small airplane tv is the flat screen at home, he begins calmly browsing for the movie list that would last him the full 2h30min of the flight.

 

One hour or so into the flight—

“Jaebeom, are you crying?”

Jaebeom wipes his eyes, “No…I just had an eyelash stuck there.”

Mark puts on his most unimpressed face, “Uh-huh.” then rip opens the 3rd bag of mixed crackers he flirted out of the young air hostess in their section.

“Your Name happens to be a deeply emotional film, they’re destined but can’t find each other! They’re on a different timeline! Linked together by a thread of fate! Have you not watched this?”

“I have.”

“And??”

Mark shrugs, “I don’t cry for most movies, I’ve only ever cried for Dumbo, when Mufasa died and when Andy decides to dump his toys, oh, and the first 20 minutes of Up.”

“Up is a good film.”

“Yes it is.”

their conversation ends as abruptly as it started.

“Hey, Jaebeom.”

“Hm?”

“Can we… be friends for this trip? And call truce?” Mark says staring at his old best friend’s profile, “It’ll be a super awkward trip if you can’t look me in the eye.”

“…” Jaebeom stiffly turns to look back, “Yeah, friends.”

Mark grins with rice cracker crumbs stuck on his face.

 

☙

 

The first day was mostly getting to their residence; an economy hotel in the city center of the main island, where they are to unpack, do head counts and be given some free time to roam around before dinner. 

The double decker buses stops at a reserved open-air BBQ house for a quick lunch, it’s interior is filled with large wooden tables and long benches, their tables were labeled with a small standee with their school name romanized in large print.

The quad finds themselves a spot to seat and waits for the food, Jaebeom barely settles on his seat before a group of girl squeezes their way between him and Mark; like a human barrier that squeals and coos in annoyingly high pitch.

Jaebeom rolls his eyes and stood back up, only to meet eyes with Mark over the wall of girls.

“Um… hey, ladies… can I have some space? I’m trying to eat with my friends.” Mark smiles politely to the girls while subtly tucking himself closer to Jaebeom. The girls, nodding understandingly, decides to surround their small group.

Not the most pleasant dining atmosphere when there’s a dozen more pairs of eyes on them.

“…Do they not have to eat?” Jaebeom whispers uncomfortably

Mark shrugs, “I’ve never seen these girls eat in front of me once, it’s probably a girl thing.” biting off a piece of his kabab, “I don’t see what not eating will accomplish, I like people who eat well and enjoy eating.” he announced the last part a bit louder.

“Girls that eat well huh?”

“Mmm… that way she can eat with me,” Mark says as a matter of factly, “can you ever imagine going out and eating a full four course meal while my date right across me eats rabbit food?”

”Yes, that can be a bit upsetting.” Jaebeom shoves another spoonful of fried rice in his mouth and pushes the image of him and Mark set in a candlelit dinner out of his wretched mind.

“Not just a bit, it makes me feel bad that I’m binging on food while others take up diets.”

Jaebeom notices how the girls sitting near begins to dramatically ‘enjoy’ their food, “Any other qualities you look for in potential dates?”

“Besides them genuinely liking me? Uh… I’d like them to be the decision making one.” ,getting embarrassed with the topic, Mark quickly scoops up a mouthful of rice.

“What about you Jaebeom?” Youngjae butts in, “I’ve been asking forever what your type is????”

“Now why do you need to know?” Jaebeom’s tone terse and slightly annoyed.

“Is this what favoritism is? Is this real? Sungjin are you hearing this? Double standards!” Youngjae shook his buddy’s shoulder as he tries to scoop his soba in his mouth, “Now I bet my entire allowance if Mark asks he’ll answer it.”

Jaebeom turns to Mark, who looks at him with that Cheshire Cat like grin, “…No.”

“But I told you about mine,” Mark persists, “it’s only fair.” his cheeks puffing as he pouts slightly.

Are humans allowed to be cute like this? “I guess… I look for girls who are comfortable in their own skin, I don’t really have a set type per se.”

“Eunji is comfortable in her own skin!”

“What is with you and Eunji?! If you like her go chase after her yourself.”

Youngjae sputters, “I just, want happiness for my best friend.” finally focusing on the food on his plate.

The buses makes their way directly to the hotel after the short lunch stop. Their teacher pulls out the room cards and a clipboard. “Four people each room! Girls and guys sleep separately. Come here once you are in a group of four!”

The quad looks at each other, then head straights to sign in.

They open to a square room with two double beds.

“I call not sleeping with Jaebeom!”

“Me too!”

The duo excitedly begins to unpack alongside the window facing bed, leaving Mark and Jaebeom to unpack along the wall facing one.

“Why are they so opposed to sharing a bed with you? Do you snore now?”

“…No, I just, like to sleep, hugging things.”

“Oh, then I’ll call room service for more pillows.”

“Thank you.”

“I get it, I like pillows on my bed too, I like to tuck myself in a pile of them.” Mark says as he waits for the front desk holding tune over the phone.

With almost two hours left to spare, the four decides to head out and roam the streets of downtown Okinawa before dinner, they pass by stores of all kinds, played with trinkets and took photos with all sorts of the Shisa statues.

Jaebeom was in the process of luring a stray cat out of its corner when Mark squats down beside him, carrying a small brown bag of what looks like round fried dough. He sees from the corner of his eye as Mark holds out a piece of the dough towards the cat, “Cats can’t eat those!”

“Oh, wait then,” he shuffles through his plastic bag full of snacks he brought along the way, “I have these dried small fish, it says only salt and fish for ingredients.” Mark says as he reads to small english fonts on the back.

“That’ll do.”

“Hey you, want some nibble?” Mark pours some on his palm and eats one, then takes out a napkin to set the rest on it.

The two squatted in front of the stray for a long while until Sungjin comes up behind them, scaring the cat away.

The boy looks at his annoyed friends’ faces and shrugs, showing them the slick looking guitar pick he bought with the Shisa head engraving.

“Cool, huh?”

Sensing Jaebeom’s temper raising, Youngjae quickly drags his unsuspecting friend to a safe distance.

The quad made it back to their hotel room just as their teacher is checking up on them.

“Dinner is from seven to nine at the buffet downstairs, show your room card when you enter.” the teacher reminds them once more as he makes his way to the next room.

 

☙

 

“Wow Mark you eat a lot!” Sungjin exclaims, “Where does the food go?”

“My stomach?” Mark says as he cleans another plate of food.

“I can see why you need someone who can eat with you now, sheesh, I’d probably gain weight if I date you.”

“Youngjae, no offense, but I don’t like you that way.”

“That’s alright, I can’t win everyone.”

“Since when have you won in general?” Sungjin says as he plays with his plate of fruit so it resembles a cute bear.

“Ouch, why am I the one who gets bullied around here? And FYI I have great luck with the ladies.”

“Says your last girlfriend, who dumped you last month for… what was it? Tardiness? Or laziness?”

Youngjae moves to strangle Sungjin who leans away with his slightly heavier build, pulling the former off his own chair and falling to the ground.

Mark on the other hand notice how quiet Jaebeom has been next to him and turns to check, only to find the boy in the process of stuffing one of the buffet’s mini burger down his mouth.

Quite a sight, actually, Mark chuckles as Jaebeom pulls at his own cheeks to make room for the bun and finally closing his mouth completely around the burger. He looks back at Mark and wiggles his eyebrows at his own impressive feat, turning his light chuckle to outright laughter.

“You must realize how dumb you look right?” Mark asks as he wipes tears away from laughing too hard.

“I do realize it, but, in life, I like to challenge myself from time to time.” Jaebeom replies sagely.

Mark eyes the mini burger on his own plate, and opens his mouth as wide as he can.

“Don’t… hurt yourself Mark, you need to make your living with that face of yours, don’t ruin it.”

Mark reluctantly agrees and just takes a big bite of the shrimp burger.

The boys finishes up their meal and turns in for the night.

 

☙

 

“Mom, I want to stay with gramp’s for the rest of the summer break.” Jaebeom says at the dinner table.

“Oh, okay? Sure, I'm sure your grandparents’ will be happy to have the extra hand on the farm, but why so suddenly?”

Knowing the question will be asked, Jaebeom recites the answer prepared for it, “Well, I’ll be doing graduation things soon, then I’ll be heading to middle school, and that’s busier than elementary school, so I won’t be able to have much time anymore to be with them for that long, this summer might be the last time I get to spend this much time with them!”

Mrs. Im blinks at awe with her son’s sudden concern of filial duties, “...Okay, I’ll phone them tomorrow.”

“Thanks mom! And thanks for dinner!” Jaebeom bounces off his chair and kisses his mother on her cheek.

“Remember to brush your teeth and wash your face!”

“ ‘Night mom! Love you!”

Mrs. Im bewilderingly looks at her son’s retreating figure and begins to mentally list what to pack for him on his stay. 

 

“You what?”

“I’m gonna be helping my grans out for the rest of the summer.”

Mark does his slightly annoyed pout where his mouth juts out like a chicken, “But who am I going to practice with now?”

“Peniel comes back next week right?”

“Yeah...I guess… I’ll miss your dumb face though.”

“You’ll be fine without my dumb face around.”

“Can I sleep-over today then?”

“...Sure.”

The two boys played Mario Kart for the rest of the night and fell asleep in the pillow fort they built in the living room.

 

☙

 

Jaebeom wakes up with his face buried in hair, sweat-matted hair to be exact, on closer observation, Mark’s sweat-matted hair. He’s halfway savoring the smell of the natural musk mixed with the herbal hotel shampoo when he noticed how numb one of his arm feels, and then realizing he is basically, spooning--- the phrase making him blush--- Mark, he’s somehow ditched all the pillows at night and ended up using his renewed friend as a body pillow. He shifts his legs and thanks the heavens that he’s not hard, though giving how nerve-wrecking he feels on the current situation it probably would’ve killed any likelihood of morning wood anyways, but he really doesn’t want anything that might compromise the somewhat comfortable companionship they’ve been sharing.

“Jaebeom… are you awake?”

_Oh shit, am I hard, I’m not hard am I? Was I hard at one point? Maybe I was and then wasn’t? I was asleep right who knows what kind of dirty crap have I been dreaming of????_

While Jaebeom has a small panic attack Mark shifts to face him, their face only breathes apart on the small cramped bed, he can see the moonlight outside reflected off Mark’s eyes, making them ethereally beautiful, “...I...uh...” Mark continues, he bites his romantically shaped lips nervously.

“Don’t get nervous around me now, I’m only a dumb face.”

Mark forces a smile, “...I’m leaving for Europe after graduation.”

“Oh...studying abroad?”

Mark shakes his head, “I got signed by another agency, there’s an upcoming designer who already wants me as his headline model, they say it’ll be better for me to be there in person for fitting and photoshoots.”

“That’s great! Where?”

“The designer is in Barcelona, but the management says I’ll be staying all over.”

“...Why are you telling me?”

“...I don’t know, I just want you to know, I guess, and I want to send you postcards and make you jealous of the life I’m living.”

“Well, I’ll be happy for you.”

Mark smiles, not quite reaching his eyes, “I’d appreciate if you keep me updated with your life as well...I don’t want us to...you know.” he drifts off.

“Sure thing, I can chat with you when it’s your bedtime so I can bore you to sleep with whatever mundane college student thing I did that day.”

“I’m sure it’ll work like a charm.”

“Go back to sleep Mark, you’ll be great in Europe.”

“‘Night Jaebeommie.”

“...‘night Mark.”

 

Despite what he told Mark, Jaebeom couldn’t sleep a wink that night, the sudden information clouding his mind like a dense fog; he has expected the other to travel for work when he came back from his grans and found out the boy’s been scouted off the street by a modeling agency while eating a supreme burrito that’s bigger than his head, but he’s never expected it to be this far, and… the possibility of never be able to see Mark in person hits him, and, and... 

 

“Dude, you look like you’re dying, actually, no, I’ve seen dead people who looks better than you.” Youngjae comments while eating the breakfast prepared at the same buffet in their hotel.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Mark looks apologetically at Jaebeom, his hands peeling the tangerine open and putting it on Jaebeom’s plate, then going to cut his melon off the skin…

“Mark, I’m fine, I can eat with my own hands.”

“You don’t look fine...” Mark says, “You look the opposite of fine, you look like you’re going to pass out any minute.”

“Yeah, but I want to pass out 24/7 so...” Jaebeom shrugs as he jabs the fork through the melon piece and stuffs it in his mouth.

“Maybe you want to stay in the hotel and rest up for today, we’re just going on boring historic tours anyways. The aquarium is tomorrow.”

“But...”

Their teacher happens to pass by, and Sungjin calls for him, “Hey, teach, don’t you think Jaebeom needs to rest? He looks absolutely horrendous right now.”

The teacher closens up to them, takes one look at Jaebeom’s face, and yells, “Im, get some rest before you hurt yourself, your buddy will find another pair to trio up with.”

“UGH! I hate all of you.”

“We love you too.”

☙

 

After being forcefully assigned bedrest, Jaebeom is back at their room to stare blankly up the ceiling.

Jaebeom remembers the first time he saw Mark’s face plastered on the window of a trend clothing store, they were in middle school in different classes then, somehow he managed to say less than ten sentences to his former best friend after returning from his grandparents’ place; hiding and finding chores to do whenever he sees the other in the hallway.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” Mark states, having finally caught Jaebeom off-guard and blocked his path.

“I haven’t.” feeling small when he’s almost a head taller than the other boy.

“You have and I want to know why Jaebeom.”

“...” Jaebeom shrugs, “Idunno.”

“You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Just, leave me alone, alright? Mark, can you leave me alone?” Jaebeom shoves the other away, and tries to not catch how hurt Mark looks as he runs away from the jungle gym in their schoolyard

 

Their door rattled before opening, snapping Jaebeom back to the present.

“Hey, Beommie, got you take-out.” Mark waves the full bags in his hand, seeing that Jaebeom is awake, he continues, “Got some sashimi and Rafute on rice and taco rice bowls, and this pineapple juice, fresh and really good, and some Chinsuko from this really famous confectury near the historic district.” 

“Where are the others?”

“We got free time in the historic district, and we were suppose to just eat there, I asked the teacher if I can head back here, he said ok. I’m tired too, kind of.”

“I see.” Jaebeom opens the rice bowl topped with generous amount of the seasoned braised pork, and swallowed at the delicious smell.

“Mmmhmm, the girls were following my every step today, taking pictures too, of just me, it’s weird, why would they take pictures of only me when it’s THEIR OWN class trip as well?!”

“What a pain it is to be popular.”

“Pshh I’d rather be invisible, beats having people stalk your every move.”

“That… sounds kind of terrifying.”

“I’ve had weird breathing calls from numbers I don’t know.”

“Breathing calls?”

“Yeah, they call my number I pick up and they don’t say anything, just I can hear weird creepy labored breathing from the other end.”

Jaebeom’s brows raised to his hairline, “Did you block them off?”

“Yes, but there will be other numbers as well, now I just… don’t pick up my cell-phone at unknown numbers anymore.”

“Sorry for making fun of you earlier, fuck there are some bat shit crazies in this world.”

“Too many crazies.”

“Agreed.”

Mark turns on the TV, a rerun of Man In Black is on, the two falls into comfortable silence as they eat the small mountain of food Mark brought with him.

 

☙

 

 “So, kids, in your hand is the package ticket for the Aquarium and Ocean Expo Park, we have guide maps in hangul over here up front should you need one, and please do not lose the color badge we passed out to you earlier, it’ll help our staff locate you back to your group should you get lost.” the Korean tour guide announced over the head set passed out to all the students, “You will tour with me in the main Aquarium and then be given free time to explore the rest of our expo parks, now head this way as we embark on our journey under the sea...”

“Jaebeom, look at this one, it looks like the superintendent!” Mark points at the small tank beside him.

Jaebeom laughs at the resemblance, then backing away when he noticed he was sandwiching Mark between him and the tank. And turns to follow the group of chattering students making their way to the whale shark’s tank.

“Ahhhhh! They’re huge!”

“And deadly.” Mark adds.

“That too.” Their hands somehow linked together due to the crowd around the main attraction, Jaebeom can feel his palm sweating but Mark held on tight, he looks around but fails to find their two other friends.

“Where are the others?”

“Dunno, they probably went to the souvenir store already, it’s pretty crowded here, let’s go join them?”

“Wait,” Jaebeom pulls Mark back, and pulls out his phone, “I want a photo with big boy over here.”

“Okay.”

The two poses with their mouth pulled flat like the whale shark behind them, then began snapping pictures, giggling at their results.

 

“Jaebeom look at this! Big Plushy!” Mark held said whale shark plushy that is almost as big as him in both his arms, his eyes sparkling, “And you’re so SOFT!” he says to the plush as he hugs it tight.

“Yes, but how will you ever get this back home? We need to fly on a plane?”

“Oh, that, right…” Mark blinks and puts the giant stuffed animal back, “Ah! This one! It’s smaller.”

“Yeah,” Jaebeom looks at the price tag, eyes widening a bit, “Maybe I’ll buy one too.”

“Okay, wait, I’m gonna go find the best looking ones for us.” Mark says as he begins to dig through the tub of stuffed toys, comparing one to another.

“Aww, look at you two, so cute, buying matching stuffed animals.” Youngjae coos suddenly from behind him, making Jaebeom jump in his shoes.

“Jesus, do you two have any clue how hard it was to misguide Mark’s fangirls from him? It’s great how you manage to basically hide him back there with your obnoxiously wide shoulders though.” Sungjin rubs the sweat off his forehead like he just finished a marathon. “I swear if I hear another person ask where he is I’m tossing them to the sharks.”

“That’s where you two have been off to? Distracting them off?”

“Duh, those girls probably plans to make their love confession to Mark in this park somewhere.” Sungjin says, “not that I blame them, it’s beautiful here.”

“I’m starving, Mark promised he’ll buy lunch for us!” Youngjae says while picking out keyrings and other trinkets for his family.

“What?”

“Yeah, not that we won’t help him with this anyways, but he says he’ll treat us back for keeping the fangirls at bay.” Sungjin stretches his back, “I think I deserve this, those girls were relentless, I deserve the lunch, and a massage.” sighing when his back makes a satisfying pop.

Mark makes his way back to the trio with the two plushies and six boxes of sweets, “They have shark shaped Chinsuko!” he announces, like the shark shape explains why he’s buying six boxes of the same snack, but his steps are so happy he’s almost bouncing as he heads to the register, Jaebeom can’t bring his heart to talk him to his senses.

Jaebeom bought the plush and an ice mold for his mother, knowing how she likes novelty things like such.

 

☙ 

 

Jaebeom finds himself walking off his full stomach in what looks like the biggest garden he’s been to in his life; not that he’s been to many, but this one is definitely big. Not many people are here but the Tropical Dream Center is still colorful and vibrant in the afternoon sun.

“This place is like… a small piece of heaven.” Mark says beside him, standing still and looking up at the blooming orchids, the light hitting his face in just the right angle, turning his black hair golden brown at the edges, his doe eyes fluid as if stars live inside.

He smiles, like an angel gracing a mortal soul;

And Jaebeom almost forgets to breathe, _My heaven is with you._

Mark’s smile froze on his lips, “...What?”

Jaebeom’s heart sank, realization coming too late when those words accidentally got blurted out of his stupid dumbstruck mouth, he turns to run only to be pulled back by their linking hands.

“Does that mean what I think you mean?”

Jaebeom opens his mouth in silence, Mark’s hand feels too warm in his, their palms to firm together, promising a security Jaebeom only dreamt of, “...I like you.” he says, admits, lamely.

Mark blinks a couple of times, blank faced, before smiling with his entire face, his body, everything starts to glow; outshining the vibrant plants surrounding them, “I like you too.”

“I like-like you though, not like a friend.”

“Yes, I like-like you too.”

“I don’t want to be just your friend.”

“Never.”

“...oh” Jaebeom realizes something, “they both knew didn’t they?"

“Who? Your two friends?”

Jaebeom nods

“Yeah… they came to me to confirm their suspicions yesterday...” Mark tries to hold back his laughter as he remembers something funny, “You mumble in your sleep Jaebeommie…” he adds with a blush that reaches all the way down to his neck.

Jaebeom sputters, feeling his whole body heat up in embarrassment, “...I’ll uh… watch out for that...” making a mental note to stop sleeping in public.

“So...does this mean we’re boyfriends now?” Mark whispers as he stares down at their locked fingers.

Jaebeom is certain he looks mental from smiling so hard, but he can’t bring himself to care much, “Yes.”

Mark’s smile matches the one on his face, “Okay.” they jump slightly apart when they heard footsteps and chatter from the bush behind them, but their fingers are still firmly linked.

Jaebeom feels as if he’s walking on air as they browses through the expo park, taking pictures in front of funny statues and sharing cold drinks and shaved ice. Everything seems so picture perfect, he’s almost afraid he might wake up and find it to be another dream. But Mark is still there every time he blinks, the light squeezes on his hand like confirmations linking this to reality, and the way Mark uses him as a human wall to hide with whenever one of his manic fangirls are close by makes him want to keep Mark to himself. And as they were heading back to the front entrance to meet up with the rest of their class, Mark pulls him behind some vending machines, and kisses him, on the lips, just a slight touch, very quick and innocent, and the way his chapped lips felt against Jaebeom’s slightly open ones is nothing like what he ever dreamt of.

The real Mark is better than his wildest fantasies.

 

☙

 

“So I gather everything went well?” Sungjin asks through his mouthful of curry rice.

“Yeah, how was your date~?” Youngjae slurps at his tropical slush while nursing his arm which was almost disjointed when Jaebeom jumps on the duo for not telling him about what they already knew.

“Will you shut up?” Jaebeom shoots him a threatening look, but wasn’t able to keep his angry face on when Mark is laughing beside him

“Look at you all soft and mushy, ugh, I want a date now, Sungjin be my date for tonight!”

Sungjin looks up from his screen, and holds it up, displaying his video chat with his girlfriend who attends another school, currently chuckling at Youngjae’s overdramatic words, “Sorry, I’m kind of taken.”

“...Then I’m going to drown out my sorrows and loneliness with this pineapple mango juice!”

The trio watches as Youngjae proceeds to gulp the slush and feign drunkenness, wrestling Jaebeom in the sand and then dancing with a small drum he got from the beachside BBQ’s owner. Later joined by Sungjin on a ukulele, He goes around the tables to showcase his little dance, earning them some cheering and laughter. By the time they’ve reached their room, all four were so worn out from the day they passed out on the bed.

 

☙

 

The next morning they were given time to pack and last minute shopping before checking out of the city hotel for Miyako island, where they’ll be staying at for the remainder of this trip.

“That’s a lot of brown sugar.” Mark looks at the pile in his basket, the quad went to the super mart for some last minute snacks or essentials as it is harder to find stores by the beach.

“My mom asked for this, better safe than sorry.” Jaebeom says as he tries to calculate which brand would have higher value.

“How will all of this fit in your luggage though?”

“I’ll just put some in yours.”

Mark looks at him with a flushed face, “…packing our things together, isn’t that very, intimate?”

“Ah...huh?” Jaebeom doesn’t quite get why packing has gotten Mark so worked up.

“...like we’re...married.” Mark plays with his oversized shirtsleeve.

Jaebeom thought about it, then expands on the analogy, “Then that’ll make this trip… our honeymoon?” he says mindlessly, not quite aware what he said until he sees Mark looking like he might pass out from over excitement, blushing so hard that even the back of his visible hand is red now. His embarrassment somehow affecting Jaebeom as well as he feels his own face heat up.

“NO! IT’S TOO DAMN EARLY IN THE MORNING FOR LOVE BIRDS!” Youngjae yells suddenly at the end of their asiel, his basket filled with a variety of sport tapes for muscle aches and sunscreens, “STOP IT! GET A ROOM!” he grumpily shoves in between the blushing couple and heads to the register.

“...Who spat in his cereal bowl?” Mark whispers in Jaebeom’s ear, making him laugh.

They quickly went back to their hotel to pack and get ready for the plane ride, Mark, being better at folding and packing, helps Jaebeom reorganize his bags so the brown sugars fit. Everything went smoothly until Mark empties the contents of Jaebeom’s backpack, and the package that’s been pushed to the deepest end of Jaebeom’s mind resurfaces, with it’s pharmacy logo and obvious square shaped content came falling out from the translucent bag. Jaebeom is wondering what Mark is looking at that made his eye big like saucers until he sees it, the box--- _lubricated, ultra sensitive, 12 pack_ \---

_What was his dad thinking? The school trip only lasts five days excluding traveling to and fro, who the hell needs all that?_ Jaebeom looks at the white plaster wall he’s sitting against and hopes for that off-chance the wall opens up to swallow him whole. He waits for the wall to swallow him as Mark silently picks up the box, putting it back in the bag, and then placing it back in his bag, right on the bottom, where it belongs. Then resumes organizing and folding everything to achieve maximum space conservation.

 

☙

 

The two didn’t talk much during the entire flight and ride to the large villa the school rented for the trip. It wasn’t until the class were dancing around the bonfire by the beach that night that Mark drags Jaebeom away from the beach to sit in the midst of the rock beds by the small cliff just out of everyone’s view, small waves crashing against the low cliff rhythmically behind them.

“Jaebeom, how long have you liked me?” Mark asks after a long silence.

“...A while? I tried dating other people in between, but...” Jaebeom picks at small shells between the white sand and rocks, “it didn’t help much.”

“Right about when you stopped talking to me in middle school?”

“I...no, yes, I mean...” Jaebeom swallows, “I… felt guilty.”

“For liking me? Or for pushing me away?”

“For thinking… about you, in a way I shouldn’t think about my best friend, and also for not able to talk to you.” Jaebeom found a soft pink shell, and puts it in the pile with the ones he’s taking home later.

“I think the same about you… often, so don’t feel to bad.”

“Yes, that, but I… it was early for me, so I kinda, freaked.” Jaebeom admitted, the memory of his first wet dream flooding back, the shame of it all, and the awkward hard-on he sported when he saw his friend later that day as they played video games.

“And that girl you dated? Did you kiss her?” Mark asks in a tone as if he’s asking for the time, though his tense shoulders gives him up.

“Uh... yeah, you knew about her? She kissed me, technically.” Jaebeom frowns at the memory of his ex pressing herself on him, “I didn’t like it.” he looks at Mark’s fidgeting fingers and small, twisting smile, “Are you jealous of my ex?”

“No, you like me, she’s a distraction, why would I be jealous?” Mark turns to face Jaebeom, “...I just hate the times you spent without me.” Mark frowns, eyeing the piercings on Jaebeom’s lobe, piercings he wasn’t there for, “And in a few months I’ll be gone and I won’t have time with you again, just when I got you back.”

“Well… I’ll video chat with you everyday.”

“That’s not enough...” Mark pouts and shakes his head, “Before yesterday, I was satisfied with being your friend again, just friends, I didn’t know I want so many things from you before you said you like me, and now I think nothing is enough.” his eyes now glassy and red, “But my work is also very important, it’s a chance of a lifetime, and I feel greedy and terrible for even feeling discontent, because I already have it so much better than other people.”

Jaebeom panics as he watches strings of tears fall from Mark’s face, he’s never seen Mark cry before, the boy could brave out any fall and pain, “I...also want more time with you, it’s natural to feel this way when you like someone.” not that he’s ever felt the same way his past relationship, but Jaebeom carefully pulls the slightly hiccupping Mark in for a hug, they’ve put on sweatshirts now that the sun’s down and it’s cooler, but Jaebeom can still feel Mark’s damp hair rubbing against his neck.

They stays that way for a while, Mark’s small sobs and hiccupping the only noise in their shared shaded corner.

“I can’t handle it when you cry Mark, I suggest you stop before I start crying as well.” Jaebeom says in a stern tone while rubbing small circles on his boyfriend’s back.

“I don’t -hic know h-hic-how to s-s-stop,” Mark isn’t even sure if he’s crying out of sadness or because all the hiccupping is making his head spin and his chest hurt, only knowing that he’s never cried this hard before, “-hic how do -hic you -hic stop this?” he reluctantly pulls away from Jaebeom, trying to slow down his own breathing. 

“I heard holding your breath helps?” Jaebeom suggests, holding his own breath as if demonstrating to Mark what he meant would help any.

Mark follows, his body quaking still from each hiccup, “It’s not w -hic working...b-beommie” his voice sounding strained. And Jaebeom pulls Mark in again, by the neck this time, and presses his lips against Mark’s quavering ones, Mark feels like he is drowning; he’s forgotten how to breathe properly, unable to do so with the snot in his nose, so he tries to gasps for air with his mouth, only to have Jaebeom kiss him deeper, he can taste the slight saltiness of his own tears and the sweetness from the grilled pineapples they ate before.

Mark can’t recall when he closed his eyes, but that he snaps them open when Jaebeom finally pulls away.

“Stopped your hiccup.” Jaebeom grins and rubs at the soft hair at the back of Mark’s neck, his grin widening when Mark, catching on to what just happened, began to blush a pretty red.

Always better with actions than words, Mark pulls him back in for another long heated kiss, “Don’t get cocky Jaebeommie.” satisfied with the dumbfounded look on Jaebeom’s face.

 

☙

 

They continues to kiss languidly until their lips feels raw, snapping out of their bubble only when their classmates cheers suddenly as their uptight english teacher joins in their little dance circle.

“We should join in.” Mark says as Jaebeom feels his hand up his shirt, “People might wonder where we went.”

Jaebeom grinds his erection on Mark’s thigh, “I don’t think I’m up to much dancing of that sort anytime soon,” and presses his own thigh in between Mark’s, “and you’re no better.”

Mark sucks in a sharp breath when Jaebeom pulls at his nipples, the slight pain only making him feel hotter than before, “Don’t you think we’re moving a bit fast?” his body betraying his hesitant words as he grinds himself on the muscled thigh.

“Not fast enough in my opinion,” Jaebeom pauses his movements, “but if you feel uncomfortable… we can stop, and maybe swim a lap to blow off steam?”

“I- no, I don’t want to stop, I… it feels good,” Mark says as he slides his hand up Jaebeom’s heavier thigh, fingers kneading the muscles, loving the way his cock twitches when his hand gets closer, he ghosts his palm over the clothed lump, tracing his finger along the shape, but never quite touching it, biting his lip when Jaebeom almost growls against his ear.

“Babe...Mark,” Jaebeom chokes out when Mark’s finger presses slightly harder at his sore and leaking head, his hands already untying Mark’s swim trunks, “please put your hand on me, it’s starting to hurt.”

Mark’s mouth runs dry when he feels Jaebeom’s hot palm and thick fingers wrap firmly around his cock, his body tensing when Jaebeom rubs his free palm on his sensitive head, Mark shakily moves his nimble fingers between and up Jaebeom’s loose swim trunks, and begins to retaliate on Jaebeom’s actions.

The two made it just in time to help their class clean up whatever mess they’ve left behind from the party. Blurting out messy and jumbled excuses when their teacher asked about where they’ve been.

 

☙

 

After returning home from their class trip, the couple resumes their busy lives; Mark preparing and studying for his job and Jaebeom busy with exploring undergrad exchange programs offered between schools and applying for jobs to gain additional income for his travels, Mark had returned to his old habits of visiting Jaebeom at his house whenever he has time, Jaebeom’s mother delighted to see her Mark at her house again, always figuring Mark didn’t come by anymore due to his modeling career and now that school is virtually over for him, he’s free to come by again.

“I should tell my parents.” Jaebeom announces one afternoon as Mark plays with his fingers, tracing the veins on the back of his hand as they lay out naked on Mark’s large bed, sated and relaxing in the warm room.

“Okay,” Mark turns his head to look at him, “I won’t be mad at you no matter what happens.”

“I know… my mom adores you and wishes to trade sons with your mom, so that’s good, I hope,” Jaebeom says light-heartedly, “I mean, worse comes to worse I get disowned.”

“Aw, Beommie...baby, I’m sure my parents will gladly take you in without a single thought.” Mark says while his fingers trail up Jaebeom’s arm going through the bite marks he left behind on those shoulders, mapping the bruises and hickeys on his lover’s smooth skin until he reaches the happy trail.

“Your family is different, they were cool with you being gay because your brother is as straight as an arrow.” Jaebeom reaches his now freed hand down to pinch Mark’s perky butt, still slick with the lube from their previous round, making the smaller body twist away from the assault.

Mark told his parents about them the second he got home, they were shocked but ultimately glad that he chose to be with Jaebeom; a good kid who they’ve knew since he was in his diapers, rather than those messy strangers he might encounter in his career.

“Hey don’t blame it on me that you can’t get it up for girls.” Mark gets up to suck and kiss at Jaebeom’s half erect cock, his own dangling heavily between his legs, moaning softly when Jaebeom pushes his finger back in his sensitive entrance that is still soft and loose from their previous round.

“I definitely blame you if I never get it up for anyone else.” Jaebeom let go of his boyfriend’s butt to shift positions, enjoying the view as those perfectly shaped lips turns red and slick around his cock, cheeks hollowing as he slurps and sucks messily, “Fuck!” He swears loudly as Mark chokes on his dick again, his tip squeezed deliciously tight by Mark’s constricting throat, “babe you already give great head, you really don’t need to deep throat me.”

Mark pulls off at the discomfort, hand still tugging at the leaking cock, “But it feels soooooo good when you do it to me,” looking perfectly innocent with his pout and doe eyes as precome and drool still hangs from his chin, “I want to return the favor.”

“We can’t be perfect at everything now can we?” Jaebeom sits up and pecks at the pouting mouth, wincing at the taste of his own precome, “I have no gag-reflex,” he says as he rolls a condom on for Mark, tugging him a few times, “and you have a tight ass.”

Mark slaps Jaebeom’s hand away and pushes him back down on the bed, lining himself on the hard waiting cock, and sits down in one fluid motion “I also like getting it raw.”

“Every gay’s dream.” and with a practiced roll by Mark’s hip, Jaebeom forgot about all his worries of dinner with his parents later that week.

 

☙

 

“So… you… what?”

“I’m gay, and I love Mark, we’re together.”

“Oh… um, Mark, wait, Raymond’s kid?”

Jaebeom nods, “His parents gave us their blessing.”

Mr. Im didn’t expect to start Seollal with news like this, he takes a sip of his soup, not knowing what to say yet, while mrs. Im stays strangely quiet, calmly eating her Seollal eve dinner as if Jaebeom hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary.

“Eomma what you do feel about this?” mr. Im turns to his wife for help.

Mrs. Im calmly swallows, wipes her mouth before speaking, “I’ve known.”

Now it’s Jaebeom’s time to be shocked, his expression mirroring his father’s perfectly.

“He always cries Mark’s name at night and I know my son’s been dating again, look at how happy he is, absolutely glowing, I like Mark so much, such a sweet boy, and boy I warn you I’ll kick you out faster than you can say mama if you break his heart.”

“But what about grandchildren?”

“Modern medicine has a lot of options now, and if that doesn’t work there's always adoption,” mrs. Im says calmly, “it’s the teaching that makes the family, not the blood.” she picks up Jaebeom’s empty bowl, “More rice for you?”

Jaebeom nods dumbly, still in shock and thinking he really should fix his sleep talking habits.

The two men watches as mrs. Im retreats back to the kitchen to fetch more rice, “...Well, I guess that’s that.” mr. Im leans back in his chair, breathing slowly to retain his grasp on reality, then remembering something, snapping up and leans over the table, gesturing his son to come close, “...so… I saw the emptied box while taking the trash out… you’ve been using protection with Mark?”

“Ew dad no I’m not talking about my sex life with you!”

“Nonononono I’m just glad you use them, you are suppose to, I’ve heard, even with guys, this is my friend’s boy we’re talking about.” mr. Im says as he chews on a cube of pickled radish, “And I warn you boy if you break Mark’s heart...”

“Why do you both assume I’d be the one doing the heart breaking?” Jaebeom cuts him off, “He’s plenty dangerous and certainly not as innocent and pure as you two think he is!”

“No, he may not be the perfect sweet angel your mom thinks he is, but he’s not like you--- you with the grudge music and the jazz and vinyl records and lip piercings, and in a few years, who knows, you’d be hanging out in clubs and drinking and dancing with strangers _and_...” mr. Im pauses for dramatic effect, “...breaking your partner’s heart! I will not have my son be like this!”

“But I won’t, I’ve loved him for six whole years and what,” Jaebeom raises his arms, “you’d honestly think I’ll just throw it all away by being a dumbass?”

“You better not!” mrs. Im comes back with a new pot of rice and a small bowl of her own homemade Sikhye, “We’re already going to go on an Arctic cruise in 2020 with the Tuans, if you mess up I’ll never cook for you again.”

“Why do you talk as if we’re already planned to get married and spend eternity together?”

“You misunderstand us, son, we don’t expect you to be the perfect couple, match made in heaven, no, but we expect you to not be the one doing the dumb things that will make you regret for the rest of your life.” mr. Im says while mrs. Im nods along.

“What if I get my heart broken instead?”

“Then we’ll be there to support you, help you get through it, and Mark will be the Tuans’ problem.”

“...Okay, okay, happy new years mom and dad.”

“Happy new years son.” 

 

☙

  

“It’s not that funny Mark.” Jaebeom, having traveled to his grandparents’ at the crack of dawn for New Years, finally laying down after a full day of doing chores, he has his iPad propped against his bent leg, as Mark’s shining white teeth flashes across the screen on the chat, laughing after Jaebeom recounted his coming out convo with his boyfriend.

“Oh, it’s plenty funny to me, ah… to think you were almost worried sick about your parents...”

“They want you to come over later in the week though, like a formal meeting of family, I swear to God they’re more serious about us then we are.” Jaebeom rolls his eyes.

“Should I start addressing you as my fiance then?” Mark smiles, “Will you be making up for the proposal we skipped and bring me roses and get down on one knee with a blinding ring? Or should I do that?”

“I will strangle you if I can right now.”

“Yeah, I miss you here already, and it’s not even two days since we last seen each other...” Mark pouts again, making Jaebeom want to hug him right then right now, “what will I do when I go and won’t see you or touch you for months?”

“You can always... touch yourself?” Jaebeom suggests, the idea of Mark mastrubating and screaming his name making his sweatpants a bit tighter than it was.

“Touch myself where?” Mark, know well where Jaebeom’s mind is heading, feigns innocence and slides his hands under his shirt, pulling it off so his toned and tight muscle and pink nipples are exposed, “should I touch here? Jaebeommie?” his slender finger pressing and sliding along his tight washboard abs, scaling up until it reaches pass the mole in the center of his chest, and pinching his nipples lightly “mmm~”, the action making the sensitive nubs harden and stand up.

Jaebeom wants to suck on those pert red nubs “Babe you should wet your fingers first and roll your nipples with your thumb and tug at them like I do,” Jaebeom paused as Mark’s fingers followed his instructions, making Mark moan sinfully.

“It feels good,” Mark tugs hashly at his abused and wet nipples, his other hand snaking down to open his zipper, kicking his jeans off only to have Jaebeom’s voice stop him.

“Ah, no touching yourself yet, babe,” Jaebeom says while tugging lazily at his own hard length, his sweats now at his knee as he rolls a condom on to save himself from a messy clean up, “go get some lube and let me see your whole body” he waits as Mark puts the phone to his bedside table and then shortly repositioned so the camera is now facing the full-body mirror in Mark’s room, with a beautiful view of Mark sitting on the edge of his bed, lube in hand and fully naked.

“What do I do now?” Mark shifts on his bed, the friction from his sheets against his private parts making his mouth water.

Jaebeom watches as Mark dry humps his sheets in slow jerky movements, “I want to warm the lube with my hands, and run them up and down the inside of your thigh until you whine for me to touch elsewhere,” Jaebeom says, “and then I want to stick my dick right between them, and fuck your pretty thighs until I cum all over them.” his words making Mark’s cock twitch and leak, “But right now I’ll settle with you fingering yourself open nice and wide for me, on your knees so I can see you gaping for your boyfriend to fuck you into the mattress.”

Mark, with his body sensitive and alert to Jaebeom’s dirty talk, follows word by word and got down on his knees, his hole exposed and twitching as he start to pump lubed fingers in them, whining and shaking his perky butt as his own cock is left dribbling in the air with each thrust of his finger.

“You look good enough to eat like this babe,” Jaebeom continues as he strokes himself in sync with Mark’s fingers, “I’d love to eat that delicious hole of yours and suck that fat cock dry.”

“Jaebeommie, ahhh, fuck me, I-I want you to fill thick cum in here,” Mark’s pretty sure he’s never been this horny in his life, as he pulls out his fingers, and spread his cheeks wide, showing the loose and gaping hole, red with abuse and slick with lube, “want your cock to ram me so deep I scream.”

“Mark, pick up the phone and look at how much at want to do exactly that,” Jaebeom switched his camera angle so it’s getting his dripping wet cock in all it’s glory, “I want to pound into you so hard your ass will be gaping for days”

Mark licks his lips at the feed of Jaebeom’s hand tugging almost painfully fast at his own cock, “I want that so much,” his fingers back inside his oversensitive ass twisting and unsatisfied because he cannot reach the spot he wanted, “my fingers aren’t enough.”

“Mark, look inside your bedside drawers,” Jaebeom said, “I was going to give this to you later but now is the perfect time to test it out.”

Mark scrambles to reach said drawer, finding a black paper bag, “You got me a dildo?” he says with labored breaths, “...is this your dick?”

Jaebeom blushes, “...I know a guy who knows a guy.” embarrassed at the memory of putting his full hard on in the mold for this present, “I made it myself, one of a kind.”

“Good enough for me,” Mark says as he slathers the spongy toy with lube and sticks it up his ass, “oo- it’s a bit...softer...and cold,” he plays with the angles more, twisting and turning the toy, “but… it -oh, gets the job done.”

Jaebeom rolls his eyes at the analytical tone Mark is using while testing out his present, “Stop critiquing my first dildo, Mark, and fuck yourself with it like how I fuck you.”

“But you’re harder~ and you cream my hole with cum...” Mark whines, but his hands not stopping as he finally tugs on his now weeping dick while sitting on floor and bouncing on the stationed dildo, “It’s hitting my sweet spot, Beomie I’m gonna cum… I’m gonna cum.”

“I’m gonna cum too babe,” Jaebeom strokes himself at the image of Mark’s hole being fucked open with the transparent dildo, feeling the heat pool, “let me see your face, show me how fucked you are.”

“I want to see you-your face too, wanna see you cumming.”

They reaches their peak as they take in the lustful look in each other’s eyes, taking in their sweat-matted hair to the flushed cheeks.

“...love you Beomie.” Mark yawns, feeling ten times more exhausted mastrubating like this than having Jaebeom right there fucking him senseless, he pouts as he cleans himself off and pulls his loose shirt back on, his underwear left forgotten somewhere on his floor, “I wish you were here to do everything you said.”

“Love you too Mark, I’ll be back before you know it,” Jaebeom wipes of the residue and sweat then changes to a new shirt, “G’night.” he waits but only hears soft breathing and the camera has gone black, disconnecting, he falls into a dreamless sleep.

 

☙

 

“Hold it, so you are telling me, that this,” a young man, his clothing and appearance so neat and down to earth you’d probably find his portrait next to the definition of orthodox, is currently holding up the latest issue of Men’s Vogue, “This… heavenly specimen here, is the whole reason why you are on this program?”

“Yes,” Jaebeom frowns at his wording, “that heavenly specimen you are referring to also happens to be my boyfriend.”

“I know, I know... but look at you,” the young man narrows his emotionless eyes, taking in Jaebeom’s clumpy unwashed hair paired with rows of piercings and thick-framed glasses, then shifting it to the model laying across the grass looking like a resting angel, “and look at him.” he says in a monotone like it should explain every ounce of doubt he has.

“Jinyoung, it’s Jinyoung right?” Jaebeom fixes his glasses, leaning back in his lab coat in a government funded lab ten feet under in the beautiful city of Cologne, “I really don’t see how my current appearance has any correlation with the status of my relationship with the man in that picture you are gawking at.” he picks up his coffee but spilt some on his last clean shirt.

“I know, it’s just a bit hard to come to terms with,” Jinyoung peels his eyes away from the picture, “the professor spoke so highly of you, but your motivation is your boyfriend!”

“Love is as good a motivation as any.” Jaebeom checks on the test subjects, the automatic system running it’s analysis on the small screen, ”But if it makes you feel any better, I am a big fan of our efforts in keeping people happy and alive.”

“Wow, do tell that to the church when they grant you sainthood.” Jinyoung rolls out his tense shoulders, “I swear they don’t pay us enough for the work hours we do.”

“Oh, the benefits of hiring foreign interns.” Jaebeom’s watch beeps, “Well, that’s my shift,” he stretches and stands up, patting the new intern on the shoulder, “don’t set the lab on fire.”

“Bring me a photo of you two so I can start trusting you tomorrow!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

Jaebeom walks through the empty streets toward his apartment complex; it’s been a year and a half since he got the internship here--- that is after four grueling years of his undergrad with two years working only a little above minimum wage at a pharmaceutical company, scheduling off-season flights at ungodly hours to Milan, Paris, London, Moscow, Barcelona, even New York to meet with the love of his life, there were times he got lost, with no sense of whatever foreign language in the country he is at, and times when he sees his friends in Korea settle down with people close to them, going on dates every weekend, movie nights, coming home and seeing their lover there waiting, there were times when Jaebeom wanted to quit badly, to toss in the towel and call it a day.

He stumbles through his door and was welcomed with lanky arms encasing him from behind, “Welcome home, Jaebeommie.”

Jaebeom looks behind him and sees the soft tuft of recently bleached hair, he takes in the wavy tresses framing Mark’s face like a crown, and his love’s sharp canines as his eyes twinkles under the warm tone light in their hallway, “When did you get here?” smelling the airport on his shirt still.

“My flight landed early, so I got here at eight, I also got you kimchi and samgyetang from the place downtown. 

“Have I told you I love you today?”

“Don’t think so.”

“I love you.”

Mark giggles, “I know, but I love you more.”, planting a kiss on his boyfriend’s lips

“Really? Since when?” Jaebeom hums as Mark takes off his blazer and pulls him in the house, their movement slow as Mark is still mapping his face with his lips.

“Since the day we met, when we were still toddlers,” Mark smiles at the memory of the chubby Jaebeom laughing and playing with him, “when you waddled to me and gave me the pack of gummy fruits from your snack bag, I felt love, even before I knew what love was.” his face love-stricken as he unbuttons Jaebeom’s shirt, feeling the round pecs through the undershirt.

Jaebeom gladly assists Mark with the removal of his belt as the two makes way to the bathroom, “Hmmmm...gummies huh? That’s your sign of me being the one?”

“What can I say? I have an oral fixation.” Mark emphasizes his point by biting lightly at Jaebeom’s earlobe before ridding himself of his own the loose shirt and sweatpants he wears for traveling, surprising Jaebeom as he wore nothing else underneath.

Jaebeom leans against the full length mirror wall as Mark, with his bleached hair and sunkissed skin and lean body falls down to his knees and unzips his trousers with his teeth, and Jaebeom forgot how tired he was a few moments ago, he’s just short of forgetting his own name when Mark’s throat tightens around his dick as he came, swallowing everything clean.

And he forgets why he even thought about giving up on dating Mark, when Mark’s cock slides in and out of him, as his mouth bites and sucks at the sensitive skin on his neck and behind his ear, whispering gentle words as he coax Jaebeom to his peak, he forgets the rest of the world as Mark runs his hand slowly through his tense back and kneads out the soreness, then turning him to ride his once again aroused cock, his hands worshipping every inch of his body.

Then he remembers, that dream, a dream that haunted his teenage years, almost like a deja vu, of him and Mark, on clouds, the feeling of wholeness, right exactly where he belongs, without a doubt.


End file.
